Hi, everyone,
I'm trying to decide whether we should take an overnight trip to Takayama or Kanazawa. I was hoping that we could go to one, and then sort of make the other a day trip before heading to Kyoto, but it seems the train takes a ridiculous amount of time to get from one city to the other - something like 4 hrs, which I can't quite understand.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

The four hours trip that we talked about the other day was from Hakone to Takayama. The trip from Takayama to Kanazawa would take four and a half hours.

The reason it takes that long is because the Japanese chose to not to build rail lines up and over mountain ranges in a straight line. Instead, they chose to go around the mountains, throught the passes and valleys where it is easier to build and run the trains and also where the people live and conduct commerce.

I'm still curious to know if you had your choice of one, which city would you visit - Takayama or Kanazawa?

Either one would be nice. Both have crafts, small musuems, interesting old streets.

I'd choose the one that fits your schedule best. Save something for the next trip!

Oh yeah. It's like lucy says. One or the other, or neither, on your schedule (not both, I think).

I would definitely pick Kanazawa. Takayama is very touristy -- lots of tour buses even in off season. The old section is a couple of blocks and now the stores are filled with junky souvenirs. kanazawa has a gorgeous garden, an old section that is very interesting and wonderful crafts.